Car-coupling.



N0.s56,489. Y PATENTEDJUNE11,1907.

E. F. PENDEXTER.

GAR GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16.1906.

x7 MMM UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

EDWARD F. PENDEXTER; OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

oAs-oouPLlNe.

Specification of Letters Patent.

l Patented June 11, 1907.

' @Primm nur Juv 16,1906. sereine. 326.351.

This invention relates to car couplings of the knuckle type, and has forits object to provide the knuckle with abutting shoulders back of thepivot,` extending both upward.

andl downward, which areadaptedto engage abutments provided in thedraw-head, ito thereby relieve the pivot pin of the severe strain towhich it is ordinarily subjected; also to form said abuttingshouldersand abutments in such manner 'that the knuckle will be drawn rearwardashort, distance when swung. intolocking position, a slot being providedfor the pivot pin in lieu of the hole which is usu'ally providedtherefor, to'permit of such rearward movement, whereby the entire strainwill be resisted by the abotments which are provided in the draw-head;also to provide a pivoted gravitating latch which holds'the knuckle inits locking posi-tion, the pivot of the latch being arranged at rightangles tothe length of the head, and an in iproved locking-device beingemployed for I Said latch, which holds it in its locking pos1- tion, butwhich is adapted to'be released by the hand-lever which is. employed forlifting the latch.;

Figure 1 shows in plan view a car coupling embodying this invention.Fig. 2 is a scctional detail of one of the corpling members,

` showing the interlocking member swung open. Fig. 3 is a similar`sectional detail showing the interlocking member swung intolocking'p'osition. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the couplingmemberst'aken on the dotted line 4 4, Fig. 2. .Fig 5 is a verticalsection of one of the coupling members taken on thedotted line 5-5,Fig.` 3.- Fig. 6 is a vertical section of one of the coupling mem# berstaken`on the dotted line 6*(3, Fig. 3.

- Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe interlock- `.the guard a2 are allas u ual.

ing member removed.

The draw bar a and raw head. a having The knuckle,

which is pivoted to the draw head, has the 4usual guard-engagingportieri a3 and latchengaging portion a, said portions being arranged atapproximately right angles to each other.

represents the usual pivot-pin for the knuckle. Instead of providing the`u su al circular hole through the knuckle for the pivot pin ai I haveprovided a slot a, which provides for ainovement of the knuckle in arearward direction for a short distance relative to the pivot pin, whichlatter will occu py a position at the forward end of said slot when theknuckle is swung into locking position.

The end of the latch-engaging portion a4 of the knuckle is formed withabutting shoulders b, b, on its upper and under sides, back of the slota, the engaging or acting faces of which are made straight from theouter side of the knuckle to a point near the inner side thereof andthen curved at the inner side thereof.

The knuckle-receiving recess in the head is formed with two like vbossesabove and below, one extending downwardand the other upward, and saidbosses enter the spaces in the upper and under sldes of the knucklebetween the guard-engaging portion a3 and the latch-engaging portion aand the circular li'ole which is provided for the pivot-pin a5 extendsthrough both of said bosses. The rear walls of both bosses serve asabutments c, c,- against which the shoulderszbyb, respectively engagcwhen the knuckle is moved into interlocking position. yThese 'abutfments. are, therefore, located back of the pivot-pins af". The abutmentsc, c, are shaped to correspond to the shape of the abutting shouldersand when so shaped it will be seen that as the knuckle is swung on itspivot into locking position. it will be moved rearward a short distanceso that the strain will he resisted by the ab'tments-in the head, andthe pivot pin will be abso, lutely relieved of all strain. In this`typeor; class of coupling. this is an important feature, vA as ordinarily,the pivot pin resists the strain, and it occasionally happens that .theupper or under support for said pin is broken off,4 or the pin itself isbroken, a result which is'not liable to happen with the constructionherein shown. Furthermore, .the abutting shoulders and abutnients areformed of large area and therefore capable of resisting a much greaterstrain than the pin.

represents a latch which is contained in a recess in the head andadapted to occupy a ioo I little by little, as is now the trouble withthe .I

. Patent is ward, and having a slot for the pivot pin, a

"head, to thereby lock said latch in its locking position and prevent itfrom Working up,

latch as usually constructed. rlhe upper end of the link or pin d? isconnected by a chain Z4 to the usual pivoted operating lever,not hereinshown, so that when said lever is operated to pull on the chain d4, thelink or pin, which serves as the locking-device for the latch, will belifted to release the latch and then the latch will be lifted. Thereforeit will be seen that the locking-device for the latch is first releasedand then the latch is lifted by the same operation of the operatinglever. y

By providing abutting shoulders and abutments to resist the strain onthe knuckle, it will be seen that the pressure of-tne latchengagingportion of the knuckle on the latch is reduc-ed to the minimum, ascontrasted with the employment of the usual p'ivoted knuckle, and as aresult said latch can be more easily lifted than would otherwise be thecase.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters 1. In a car coupling of the class described, apivote-d knuckle having abutting shoulders back of its pivot extendingupward and downpivot pin for the knuckle, a draw-head to which theknuckle is l ivoted, having its' knuckle-I eceiving recess formed withbosses, above and below, through which the pivot pin extends, whichoccupy positions in front of the abutting shoulders on the knuckle andwhich are formed with abutments against which the shoulders on theknuckle abut,

substantially as described.

2. In a car coupling of the class described, a pivoted knuckle havingabutting shoulders back of its pivot, extending upward and downward, theengaging faces of which are made straight from the outer side of theknuckle to a point near the inner side thereof, and then curved .at the`inner side of the knuckle, a pivot pin for the knuckle, a drawhead towhich the knuckle is pivoted, having its knuckle-receiving recess formedwith abutments above and below, the engaging faces of whic-h, againstwhich the shoulders on the knuckle abut, being shaped to correspond withthe shape of the engaging faces ofsaid shoulders, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a car coupling of the class described, a pivoted knuckle on thedrawhead, a pivoted gravitating latch for said knuckle contained in arecess in the drawhead, a locking device for said latch comprising a pinor link pivoted to the rear side thereof and extending upward, and itsupper end designed to engage a shoulder on the drawhead, said pin orlink being entirely within tlie'drawhead, and means for lifting saidlatch, substantially as described.

4. In a car coupling of the class described, a pivoted knuckle on thedrawhead, a pivoted gravitating latch for said knuckle contained in arecess in the drawhead, a-locking device for said latch extendingupwardly from the Frear side. thereof and situated entirely within thedrawhead and means for re leasing said locking device and lifting thelatch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, Inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD F. PENDEXTR. .Witnessesz I CLIFFORD A.'CooK, CHESTER F. WILLIAMS:

